Electric battery.



G. D. GALLOWAY, Jn.

ELECTRIC BATTERY. APPLIOATION rum) rm. 1, 1912.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

IRE-h moses:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES D. GALLOWAY, JR., OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC BATTERY.

the United States of America, have invented certain new and usefulimprovements in Electric Batteries, of wlnch the following 1s t aspecification.

This invention relates primarily to secondary batteries and provides avent there- .for that makes it permissible to place the battery invarious positions without danger of leakage.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a plan view partly broken awayto indicate parts composed of insulating material: Fig. 2, a section onthe line H, II of Fig. 1: Fig. 3, a sect-ion on the line III, III ofFig. 1: Fig. 4, a plan showing a battery of slightly modifiedconstruction: Fig. 5, a section of the line V, V, of Fig. 4: Fig. 6, aside elevation of the cover of the cell: and Fig. 7 a diagrammatic planview showing a modification. I

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6, in all views 1 indicates the ordinary leadgrids orelectrodes and 2, 2, the terminals or binding posts. 3 is theordinary vulcanite or other suitable cell inclosed as usual in a woodenjacket 4.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the cell is provided withthe ordinary plug closure cast in the mouth thereof and having throughit the usual aperture 6. This aperture, however, in the presentinstance, is closed by a solid screw plug 7 without any provision forventing the battery at this point. The dotted line 8 indicates the levelof the electrolyte when the cell is standing upright upon its bottom.

The means for venting the cell are as follows: Inclosed in the plugclosure, cast therein, are two vent pipes. One of them 9 opens upwardlyto-the atmosphere at 9', at one of the corners of the cell, and thenextends diagonally with a falling pitch to the opposite corner of thecell and opens at 9 through the bottom of the plug cover to the gasspace of the cell. The companion vent plpe 10 is reversely to say, itopens upwardly to the atmosphere at 10 at the same corner of the cell atwhich the end 9 of the other vent passage opens downwardly to the gasspace and then extends diagonally with falling pitch to the oppositecornerof the cell and Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 1, 1912.

arranged; that is Patented A11 13, 1912.

Serial No. 674,676.

opens at 10 to the gas space of the cell at the same corner thereof asthe vent end 9' of thd other pipe or passage is located. Theseoppositely disposed vent tubes or passages are curved away from eachother at their central portions so as to pass respectively on oppositesides of the aperture 6. If the filling aperture 6 were locatedelsewhere than in the center of thetop of the cell as, for instance, atone side, as at 11 (Fig. 1), the vent tubes or passages 9, 10, couldextend in straight lines directly from one corner of the cell to theother. This arrangement of venting means makes it permissible, as willbe obvious, for the cell to be laid upon either of its four s1des,that

is to' say, under any conditions of use, it

may assume any angle except one" amounting substantially to inversionwithout danger of leakage. The venttubes need only be of very smallcross sectional area and are preferably given some pitch. It is found inpractice that there is no danger of leakage caused by jostling orshaking of the cell in any of its positions.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show a style of cell somewhat ditt'erent in form butnot in principle from that already described. The cell 3 is formed witha flange 3 around its upper edge upon which rests a cover plate 12secured to the flange by bolts 13. In this instance, the oppositelyarranged vent paswith respect to their openings to the atmosphere andthe gas space of the cell are exactlyas already described. The onlydistinction over the construction shown in Fig.

1 is that the vent tubes or passages instead of extending diagonallyfrom one corner of the cover to the other, are respect-ively carriedalong the cover adjacent its sides making one turn at right angles.

The location of the openings to the atmosphere and to the gas spaceshould preferably be as near as ossible at what may be called thecorners o the cell because when the cell is laid upon its'side theopening to the gas space is farthest removed from the level of theelectrolyte.

Fig. 7 illustrates a modification, or rather an extension, of theinvention that makes it permissible to place the cell in any positionopens to the atmosphere at 16' at one corner or angle of the cell markedA from whence it extends along three sides of the cell (or its cover orclosure) and opens to the gas space'at 16 at the adjacent corner B. Asimilarly arranged passage 17 opens to the atmosphere at 17 at thecorner B and to the gas space at 17 at corner C; another 18 opens to theatmosphere at 18" at corner 0 and to the gas space at 18 at corner D;and another 19 opens to the atmosphere at 19 at corner I) and to the gasspace at 19 at corner A. This figure of drawing is diagrammatic in thatin practice the openings of each passage will be as. nearly as possibleat the corners. It would be very diflicult to show the openings of thevarious passages one overlying another. The passages between its endsmay be disposed inany 'way that does notpermit a direct fall for theelectrolyte from the gas end to the atmosphere end.

The invention is applicable to cells other than those square orrectangular in cross section. For instance if the cell shown in Fig. 7be circular the points called corners may he points located equi-distantfrom each other and the passages be disposed in circular or curvedlines. In the case of a circular cell the use of proportionately lesselectrolyte would be permissible.

I claim: 1.- A battery vent disposed in the cover or closure of the celland comprising oppositely arranged vent tubes or passages one of whichopens to the atmosphere at or adjacent one corner of the cell and to thegas space of the cell at the diagonally space of the cell at thediagonally oppositecorner and the other of which opens to the atmosphereat the latter corner of the cell and to the gas space at the diagonallyoppo jacent one corner of the cell and to the gas v corner and the otherof which opens to the atmosphere at the latter corner of the cell and tothe gas space at the diagonally opposite corner. I

3. A battery of vent passages each of which opens at one end to theatmosphere and at the other end to the gas space ofthe cell,'the severalopenings to the atmosphere being symmetrically spaced around the celland the several openings to the gas space being also symmetricallydisposed around the cell.

4. A battery vent comprising a plurality of vent passages eachof whichopens at one end to the atmosphere and at the other to the gas space,the several passages being disposed transversely with respect to thevertical -axis of the cell in such manner that leakage of electrolytewill not occur when the cell is placed in lateral position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

CHARLES D. GALLOWAY, JR. Witnesses: e

S. A. STORY, L. F" BRO NING.

Vent comprising a plurality opposite

